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May 13, 2019

At Least 65 Migrants Drown After Boat Sinks in Mediterranean, U.N. Reports
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The U.N. reported at least 65 people drowned when a boat carrying
migrants across the Mediterranean sank Friday. The migrants came from a
range of countries including Bangladesh, Libya, Morocco and several
sub-Saharan African nations. This is a survivor of the shipwreck from
Egypt, Mandour Mohamed.

Mandour Mohamed: "…There were 75 of us. We sailed a little bit then,
because of how many people were on the boat, the [boat] started filling
up with water. It then sunk and capsized. This was 12 o'clock at
midnight. We kept floating in the water until 8 o'clock in the morning.
A small Tunisian boat then came to our rescue. They came and took us,
along with the Tunisian army. Thank god, we are here in Tunis."

Although the number of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean
has gone down since its peak in 2015, the U.N. warns the journey is
increasingly fatal for those who undertake it. According to the
International Organization for Migration, nearly 2,300 migrants died or
went missing in the Mediterranean last year.


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